Japan Enlists Baki's Strongest Fighters to Teach Tourists Train Manners

The Baki series is celebrating its 35th anniversary with an unexpected new collaboration that sees some of its most iconic fighters encouraging better manners across Japan’s railway network.

Created by Keisuke Itagaki, Baki is one of the world’s best-known martial arts manga franchises, following underground arena champion Baki Hanma as he battles increasingly powerful opponents in his quest to surpass his father, Yujiro Hanma, who is known as the strongest creature on Earth.

First serialized in Weekly Shonen Champion in 1991, the long-running series has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide and reaches its 35th anniversary in 2026.

To mark the milestone, publisher Akita Shoten has partnered with four Japanese railway operators: Sotetsu, Meitetsu, Nishitetsu, and Hanshin Electric Railway, for a large-scale public manners campaign titled “The World’s Strongest Train Manners Class”.

Built around the slogan “Manners Must Be Protected!!”, the campaign uses memorable scenes and characters from the manga to encourage passengers to show consideration while traveling.

The posters promote everyday etiquette such as offering seats to those in need, lining up properly before boarding, and being mindful of how bags and luggage are carried inside crowded train cars.

Rather than simply placing the characters on promotional artwork, each design cleverly adapts famous moments from the series to deliver its message in true Baki fashion.

Yujiro Hanma appears as an example of what not to do by sitting with his legs spread across the seating area, while Retsu Kaioh encourages kindness with a scene inspired by his line declaring that he has no objection to giving up his seat for someone else.

The campaign artwork features bold manga-style illustrations that recreate the intensity of the original series while transforming familiar scenes into memorable reminders about respecting fellow passengers.

To make the campaign more accessible to international visitors, every poster also includes English alongside the Japanese text.

The collaboration will appear at stations and inside trains operated by Sotetsu, Meitetsu, Nishitetsu, and Hanshin Electric Railway, helping the anniversary campaign reach commuters across multiple regions of Japan.

The “World’s Strongest Train Manners Class” campaign will begin rolling out from July 16 and is scheduled to remain in place through the end of 2026.